B-21 Raider Specs, Cost and Status of the New Stealth Bomber
The B-21 Raider is the US Air Force’s next stealth bomber, with a planned fleet of at least 100 aircraft and a program cost the service once priced at roughly $692 million per jet in 2022 dollars. Most of what makes it special is classified, so this guide separates what the Air Force has confirmed from what outsiders only estimate.
What is the B-21 Raider
The B-21 is a flying-wing stealth bomber built by Northrop Grumman for the US Air Force. Northrop won the Long Range Strike Bomber competition in October 2015, beating a Boeing and Lockheed Martin team. The aircraft was named Raider in 2016 in honor of the Doolittle Raiders of 1942.
It was unveiled at Palmdale in December 2022 and made its first flight in November 2023. A second test aircraft joined the program in 2024, and Northrop began low-rate production before flight testing ended. The Air Force calls it a sixth-generation aircraft, a label that signals advanced networking and open-systems design rather than a formal technical category.
B-21 Raider specifications
| Item | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman | Confirmed |
| Role | Long-range penetrating strike bomber | Confirmed |
| Configuration | Tailless flying wing, two engines | Confirmed by released imagery |
| Crew | Two crew members reported | Not officially detailed |
| Size | Smaller than the B-2, which spans about 52 m | Unofficial; dimensions are unpublished |
| Payload | Conventional and nuclear, internal weapons bays | Capacity classified |
| Range and speed | Subsonic, intercontinental range | Figures unpublished |
| Engines | Two, type not formally disclosed | Open-source reports only |
| First flight | November 10, 2023 | Confirmed |
| Unit cost | About $692 million (2022 dollars), program average target | Air Force figure; contested since |
No official source has published the B-21’s weight, range, speed, or payload figures. Analysts infer that it is smaller than the B-2 from the Air Force’s release imagery and from the statement that it will use less fuel and cost less to operate. Any detailed number you see elsewhere should be treated as an estimate.
How stealthy is the B-21
The Air Force says the B-21 is designed to penetrate the world’s most heavily defended airspace, including dense integrated air defense networks. Its shape, materials and exhaust design are all aimed at low observability, and Northrop has said it applied lessons from the B-2’s maintenance burden, including coatings meant to be easier to repair. The service has not released radar cross-section data, and it would not.
Open discussion of how stealth works, and how radar cross-section shapes detection, is useful context. Claims from other countries that advanced sensors can now track stealth aircraft are unverified, and the B-21’s real survivability will only be tested in an actual conflict. The aircraft is also designed to work alongside crewed and uncrewed partners, a theme explored in our coverage of the collaborative combat aircraft race.
B-21 Raider cost and production
The $692 million figure was set in 2022 dollars, based on a 100-aircraft fleet, and inflation alone pushes that number higher today. Northrop has reported charges on early production lots because costs ran above its fixed-price commitments. The Air Force has also discussed increasing the planned fleet beyond 100 and raising the annual production rate, and Congress added funding in 2025 to support that push.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Northrop Grumman wins the Long Range Strike Bomber contract |
| 2016 | Aircraft named Raider |
| 2022 | Public rollout at Palmdale, California |
| 2023 | First flight on November 10 |
| 2024 | Second test aircraft flies; low-rate production under way |
| Late 2020s | Planned initial operational capability at Ellsworth Air Force Base |
Where will the B-21 be based
Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is the first planned home, hosting the training unit and the first operational squadrons. Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas are the other announced locations. The aircraft will replace the B-1B Lancer and eventually the B-2 Spirit, which leaves the Air Force with a two-type bomber fleet alongside the aging B-52.
The United States is the only operator. No export is planned, and Washington has not offered the aircraft to allies.
B-21 Raider frequently asked questions
How much does a B-21 cost?
The Air Force set an average unit cost target of about $692 million in 2022 dollars, a figure that has been criticized as optimistic.
How many B-21 bombers will be built?
The program of record is at least 100 aircraft, and the Air Force has discussed a larger fleet.
Has the B-21 flown in combat?
No. It remains in flight testing and early production, so it has no combat record.
What is the B-21’s range and payload?
The Air Force has not published either figure. Public estimates are unofficial.
Will the B-21 replace the B-2?
Yes, the B-21 is meant to replace the B-1B first and then the B-2, though timelines depend on production rates.
- US Air Force and Northrop Grumman public releases on the B-21 Raider
- Wikipedia – Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (accessed October 2026)
- Congressional Research Service reporting on the Long Range Strike Bomber program
- Defence & Tech reporting on US strategic bombers
